Roll paper towel dispenser



July 12, 1955 J. c. LAYTON ETAL ROLL PAPER TOWEL DISPENSER Filed Nov.26, 1951 INVENTORS.

lrTo/v and United States Patent 0 2,712,934 ROLL PAPER TSWEL DISPENSER3. C. Layton, Montebeiio, and Ralph Shatter, Pasadena, Cahi, assignorsto Towlsaver, Inc., Los Angeles, Caiifi, a corporation of CaliforniaApplication November 26, 1951, Serial No. 258,138 8 Claims. (Cl. 271-24)This invention relates to and has for a general object the provision ofan improved type of a machine for dispensing successive sections ofpaper toweling of uniform length from a roll and means for preventingissue of more than a predetermined length of paper at each operation.

This invention provides certain improvements over the machine disclosedin Patent No. 2,277,051 granted to one W. H. West on March 24, 1942 fora towel dispenser and assigned to Towlsaver, Inc., a corporation ofCalifornia, of Los Angeles, California.

Machines of the type embodying the present invention are usuallyinstalled in public lavatories, ofi'ices and residences and obviouslywhile necessarily simple and easily operated, in the absence of suitablecontrols users of the towel sheets are careless and frequentlyextravagant in the use of the paper sheets dispensed. It is, therefore,an object to provide means for limiting the length of the sheetsdispensed to a substantially uniform section issuable at each operativecycle, in order to deter users from wasting expensive paper withoutactually preventing the use of as many sections as users may desire butrequiring a separate operation for each section dispensed.

Another object is to provide means for preventing the trailing ofsuccessive sections relative to preceding sections without manipulationof an reverse direction to that required to issue a section, therebyrequiring extra effort on the part of a user to obtain a second and eachsubsequent section, and discourage a user against use of excessivepaper.

A still further object is to provide a manually rotatable control memberand a relatively oscillatable locking member which is centrally pivotedon the dispenser case so as to alternately swing terminal portionsthereof into.

and from locking engagement with said control memoer. and the lockingmember is additionally arranged to slide in opposite directions to alimited extent on its pivot by and under the influence of said disc withor without assistance of gravity, to limit the rotation of said disc toa predetermined extent in opposite directions and thereby to maintainpositive control and limitation of each operation to but a singlesection of paper of desired length.

Another object is to provide a rotatable control disc formed with aplurality of segments of different radius and extent, and a lockingmember formed with abutments at its ends adapted to engage shoulders ofsaid segments during each dispensing cycle of the unit for firstunlocking the disc to permit issuance of a section of paper and thenlocking the unit against issuance of a succeeding section after a firstor prior section has been issued for use, until the disc has beenreversely rotated to effect an unlocking operation.

In one form of unit the control disc may have two concentric segments ofdifierent radius with shouldered notches at the junctions thereof forlockingly engaging the abutments on the locking member. Thus, when oneabutment of the locking member engages the edge of operating member in aThe control member is preferably formed as a disc '3' respectively whichabut 2,712,934 Patented July 12, 1955 one segment of the disc the otherabutment of the locking member will become eifective to bodily shift thelocking member on its pivot and also to lockingly engage a shoulder ofthe disc to prevent rotation of the disc in a corresponding direction.For example: when the trailing abutment of the locking member engagesthe major se ment of the disc during a dispensing cycle, the leadinabutment of the locking member can at a predetermined point in adispensing cycle drop into the leading notch and engage the shoulderthereof for positive ly arresting forward rotation of the disc beyondthe point of completion of the issue of a single section of paper ofpredetermined length. Also, thereafter, a succeeding section of papercan be issued only by reversely rotating thecontrol disc, therebyretracting the locking member and releasing its leading abutment fromthe disc and simultaneously engaging its trailing abutment with theshoulder of the trailing notch on the disc. Hence the unit is set topermit a succeeding dispensing cycle of operation and the issue of asucceeding sheet of paper.

Other objects may appear as the description of my improvementsprogresses.

I have shown a preferred form of accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a towel dispenser embodying the instantinvention and shown with the cover of the case open;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view of the controlmechanism and supporting panel therefor when detached from the case andviewed from the outside;

Fig. 3 is a side view of the control disc and locking member shown inunlocked positions to permit the disc for forward rotation as in adispensing operation;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 except that the conrol disc is shownapproaching position to either be locked against or authorizedly move toan extent to complete a dispensing cycle of operation;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary section on line 55 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a view of the inside of the control panel showing a geardriven by the operating member and a detent or back stop for preventingreverse movement of the dispenser before completion of a dispensingcycle of operation;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary section of the dispenser in a vertical plane ason line 77 of Fig. 5; and

Fig. 8 is a longitudinal section of the machine showing the paper rollsupport at opposite ends within the case C.

The form of dispenser shown is of a clam shell type embodying a case Cand a closure C' hinged together at their upper edges as at 2 andflanged portions 3 and in a plane cutting the axis of hinge 2 andtogether forming a receptacle for a roll of paper toweling T within thebulging bodies C and C. Said member C has a back 4 and a bottom 5 whilethe member C' has an inclined top 6 and a front 6.

A dispensing roller D is rotatably supported on opposite ends of case Cin bearings D aflixed to an end 7 of member C and in a panel P afiixedto the other end 8 of member C. Paper roll T is also journalled atopposite ends in side 7 in panel P. The outer end portion of the roll ofpaper as at T extends over roller D and under a companion roller D (Fig.7) which is also rotatably supported on side 7 and panel P and is urgedinto frictional contact with paper portion T1 by springs 9, one at eachend of the roller and connected at their opposite ends with a spindle 10of roller D and spindle 11 of roller D.

I An operating crank O has a trunnion 12 panel P 'to which a drivinggear G is fixed mechanism in the rotatable on for meshing is rotatedbackwardly (see Fig. 6).

with and driving a smaller gear G ing dispenser roller D.

The ratio of gears G and G is such that one complete revolution of crank0 will issue a section T of paper from roll T of desired predeterminedlength but no more or no less. Gears G and G may only be rotatedforiwardly due to a back stop detent pawl 14 which is pivoted at 15 topanel P and has an end 16'overlying and engageable with the teeth 17 ofgear G to prevent backward rotation of the gear, dispensing rollers Dand D and crank O, which would otherwise occasion clogging of themachine and render the dispenser uncertain of operation, if at all.

Pawl 14 carries a pair of flat springs 18 which fricfixed to and forrotattionally engage opposite sides of gear G and serve to move the pawlinto engagement with the gear G when the crank best shown in Fig. 2,includes a disc A fixed to crank O at 12 and a locking bar B which ispivotally and slidably mounted on panel P between portions 19 and 20 ofa lock retainer R. Bar B is of arcuate form with leading and trailingabutments 21 and 22, respectively, which are arcuately spaced apart onopposite sides of a fulcrum pin 23 extended between The controlmechanism,

portions 19 and 2-1 of member R so as to pivotally and slidably supportthe bar when pin 23 is extended through an elongated slot 24 formedtherein.

Disc A is formed with an elongated major concentric peripheralisegment25, of approximately 180 extent,

26 of approxia shorter and slightly eccentric segment mately 120 inextent and a still shorter concentric segment 27 of greater radius fromcommon axis than said other segments and of 60 extent. Notches 28 and 29are formed in disc A at opposite extremities of segment 27 and provideleading and trailing shoulders 28" and 2, respectively. Said notches areadapted to be engaged respectively by abutments 21 and 22 on lock B forpreventing rotation of the disc and crank in opposite directions attimes. As shown in Fig. 2 the segment 27. of the disc and the arcuateedge 30 of lock 13 are of approximately the same radius and extent andin such case were it not for the engageme the shoulder 28' of said disc,as at the'completion of a dispensing movement, a second operation couldbe effected without an unlocking operation.

But, as shoulder 28' engages abutment 21 further rotation of disc A isprevented in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 2 while at the sametime lock B will slide leftward to a maximum extent and is so held untildisc A is reversely rotated and to engage of segment 26 with abutment 21and thereby swing abutment 22 upwardly against segment 25 of disc A andinto the path of shoulder 29'. A reverse movement of the crank and disconly to an extent to engage the shoulder 29" with abutment 22 isnecessary to shift lock B rightward and abutment 21 is shoulder 28' anda new is permitted.

At the leading extremity and point of minimum radius of segment 26 arecess 31 is formed on disc A so that during the rotation of disc A whensaid recess reaches a point opposite the leading abutment 21 of lockingmember B'the shoulder 28 will approach the trailing abutment 22 ofmember B. If at such time, for any reason, member B should have beenshifted leftwardly from its position as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, theshoulder 28 will engage and force abutment 22 outwardly from disc A andsimultaneously move abutment 21 inwardly toward the disc and into thepath of the then approaching shoulder 28. Shoulder 23' thus engagesabutment .21 and then shifts member B leftwardly and locks the discagainst dropped out of the path of the forward revolution of the discfurther clockwise rotation until the crank O is reversely As member-B isshifted to the lefit the engagement the trailing portion t of abutment21 with of the lock bar B against instituted.

so that abutment 21 will positively lock against shoulder 28'. ber B tothe right but also swings abutment 22 inwardly to an extent necessary topositively engage said abutment with shoulder 29.

Hence the recess 31 of the slightly eccentric segment 26 allows inwardmovement of abutment 21 as abutment 22 is moved outwardly by shoulder28. segment 26 were concentric, the abutment 21 could not move inwardlyto the path of shoulder 28.

Another and most important aspect of the operation of the eccentricsegment 26 lies in the fact that it eliminates'the possibility of' thejamming of the leading end the peripheral edge of the disc A which, inprior constructions, has prevented rotation of the disc A and thus, thedispensing of towels from the dispenser.

The jamming of the lock bar art constructions, if the trailing struck bythe leading shoulder 28' of the disc A during the clockwise rotation ofsaid disc. Thiswould cause the lateral shifting of the bar B in aleft-hand direction thus locating the leading edge of said bar in aposition in which it would wedge againstthe peripheral edge of the discA and prevent further rotation of, said disc.

However, in the preset construction, such jamming is eliminated becausethe lateral shifting of the locking bar B will urge the leading endthereof into the recess in the peripheral edge of the disc A constitutedby the eccentric segment 26. As the rotation of the disc A continues,the rise of the eccentric segment 26 will urge the leading end of thelocking bar B outwardly and thus position the leading abutment 21 on thelocking bar B for engagement with the leading shoulder on the disc A.

When the mechanism is the shoulder 28 in disc A will bear against theabutment 21 on looking bar B, thereby preventing B would occur, in priorend of the bar B were issuance of a section T1 from a roll of paper T.in such instance the greater weight of bar B is forwardly of its pivot23.

' Now in order to obtain a section T1 of paper from the roll it isnecessary to reversely rotate the operating crank O which wouldcorrespondingly move abutment 22 of bar B so that the abutment 22wouldmove inwardly into and over notch 29 of said disc under limitationof segment 25 and. thereby prevent further reverse rotation of theoperating cran However, because the abutment 22 wasenabled to engageshoulder 29' the bar B is moved in inclined slot 24 with the abutment 21into a position wherein it will not 28 when the crank is again rotatedin a forward direction. As the crank is so rotated the dispenser rollerhas become effective to move a section T1 from the roll out the factthat the pawl 14 would be quickly moved into engagement with the teeth17 of gear G by reasonof the friction between the flat friction members18-18 on said gear. Hence each completed before a second dispensingoperation can be a dispensing operation is instituted abutment 21 on barB from shoulder When, however, by disengagement of 28 on disc A thebackward thrust of the shoulder 29" against abutment 22 serves to moveabutment 21 from the path of the segment 27 of the disc and said segmentwill be permitted to pass over said abutment 21 but in so doing and solong as the abutment and segment are thus engaged, the concentricsegment 25 p of the disc will have'moved over abutment 22 therebypermitting con? tinued rotation in a forward direction to the" fullextent Reverse rotation of crank 0 not only retracts mem- I Otherwise,if a at rest, as shown in Fig. 2

further forward rotation of the crank and disc and also preventing thebe engaged by the shoulder forward operation must be 7 of the length ofa section T1 to be issued and until the forward end portion of bar B ispermitted to further move out of the path of segment 27 and the abutment21 is correspondingly moved inwardly onto the eccentric segment 26 ofthe disc. The operation thus continues until the abutment 21 againengages the shoulder 28' and stops forward movement of the crank anddisc, thus requiring a slight reverse movement of the crank to a limitedextent for permitting an ensuing dispensing operation.

It may be noted that in the slight reverse movement of the operatingcrank in order to release the mechanism for a dispensing operation suchmovement is not sufficient to engage pawl 14 with the teeth 17 of gear Galthough said pawl is effective for stopping reverse rotation at anypoint between the beginning and end of a dispensing operation by reasonof the friction of elements 18 on gear G.

it also may be noted that as the segment 27 approaches abutment 22 onbar B it serves to cam said abutment outwardly and to correspondinglymove abutment 21 inwardly so as to be engaged by the shoulder of notch28. Recess 31 of section 26 of the disc in a forward rotation registerswith abutment 21 and permits the movement of said abutment towardsection 26 before shoulder 28 registers with abutment 21 and there is asufficient interval of time allowed to assure the locking engagement ofabutment 21 with shoulder 28 regardless of the speed at which the crankis rotated because abutment 22 is moved outwardly by segment 27. Assegment 27 moves into peripheral engagement with edge 30 of bar B theabutment 21 is thereby forced into the path of the shoulder 28' andserves to positively lock the margin against a succeeding issue of atrailing section T of paper until the crank O and disc A have beenreversely moved to effect a succeeding operation.

In the form of case shown it is important that the back 4 of the case besupported in a vertical plane for ensuring the operation of bar B underthe influence of gravity. it will therefore be obvious that theimprovements shown herein are desired advantages over the mechanismshown by said prior patent particularly in providing the modified andbeneficial form of disc A of this invention over the disc 29 of saidformer patent and the obviously important other characteristics of thedisc and locking bar of corresponding elements shown in said priorpatent.

It may be noted that the control mechanism is mounted as a unit on panelP which is detachably secured to the case C and said panel is so mountedin the case that the bar B will be disposed pivotally and shiftablybelow the disc A in order that gravity at times may affect the swingingmovement of the bar when one end thereof overbalances the other.Inasmuch as the disc A is locked against forward rotation at the end ofeach operating cycle with the leading shoulder 28' thereon engaged withthe leading abutment 21 on bar B, said disc can be released only byretraction of the operating member to a slight extent and acorresponding reverse rotation of disc A until such rotation of the discis stopped by engagement of the trailing shoulder 29' on the disc withthe trailing abutment 22 on bar B.

In the final movement of the disc necessary for the completion of anoperating cycle the engagement of the leading shoulder on the disc withthe leading abutment on the bar pulls the bar forwardly to a maximumextent and correspondingly the retractive movement of the disc pulls thebar backwardly to a point where the leading abutment 21 of the bar willdrop out of the path of the leading shoulder of the disc due to the factthat the trailing abutment of the bar has at such time dropped into thetrailing notch 29 on the disc. Immediately following stoppage of thebackward movement of the disc another forward movement can be madebecause the leading shoulder 28' of the disc will clear the leadingabutment 21 on the bar and a complete forward revolution can then beeffected during which the leading abutment of the leading shoulder onthe disc will strike the trailing abutment on the bar and force theleading abutment on the bar upwardly into the path of the leadingshoulder on the disc thereby completing a succeeding operating cycle.

During the forward movement of the disc following its release from thelocking bar the trailing abutment 22 of the bar traverses the elongatedminor concentric segment 25 and prevents the extension of the leadingabutment 21 into the path of the leading shoulder 28' of the disc. At atime substantially in advance of the engagement of the leading shoulder28' of the disc with the trailing abutment 22 of the bar said abutment22 can move inwardly to the extent of its contact with the eccentric segment 26 and said abutment will traverse segment 26 until engaged by theleading shoulder on the disc again as hereinbefore described.

It will be noted that the bar B is so arranged that it will be shiftednot only forwardly but also upwardly in an inclined plane due to theinclination of the slot 24 so as to properly dispose the leadingabutment 21 of the bar relative to the path of the leading shoulder 28of the disc, and also upon reverse rotation of the disc to ensureoutward movement of the abutment 21 of the bar into position outwardlyof the path of the major segment 27, while simultaneously elevating theabutment 22 to a position to be engaged by segment 27 for retracting theabutment 21.

The control mechanism herein shown and described is economical in designby reason of the fact that all parts are in the form of metal stampings,and is free from complications because there are no springs or otherdevices to occasion trouble and frequent service.

We claim:

1. A control mechanism for limiting rotation of a member to apredetermined extent comprising: a rotatable control disc and a lockingmember coplanar with said disc, means for pivotally and shiftablysupporting said locking member with an inner edge thereof adjacent theperiphery of said disc, said disc having a first concentric segment ofsubstantially extent, a second concentric segment of substantially 60 inextent and of greater radius than said first concentric segment and aneccentric segment of intermediate extent between said concentricsegments providing an elongated recess in the peripheral edge of saiddisc, said eccentric segment having a maximum radius at a point nearsaid second concentric segment and a minimum radius less than and at apoint adjacent said first concentric segment to permit the leadingabutment on said locking member to be received in said recess adjacentsaid first concentric segment and to urge it out of said recess adjacentsaid second concentric segment, said disc having reentrant peripheralshoulders at opposite extremities of said second concentric segment,said locking member having an arcuate inner edge co-radial with theperiphery of said second concentric segment to engage the same andspaced leading and trailing abutments alternatively engageable with theshoulders on said disc to respectively stop rotation of said disc at thecompletion of a predetermined movement of the disc and to release saiddisc from the locking member for subsequent forward rotation uponreverse fractional rotation of the disc.

2. A control mechanism for limiting rotation of a member to apredetermined extent as set forth in claim 1, in which: the trailingabutment on said locking member is extended inwardly beyond the arcuateinner edge of the locking member so as to be engaged by the leadswingthe leading abutment on the locking member into position for subsequentengagement with the leading shoulder to stop forward rotation of thedisc.

3. A control mechanism for limiting rotation of a member to apredetermined extent as set forth in claim 1, in which: the trailingabutment on said locking member is extended inwardly beyond the arcuateinner edge 'ment providing of the locking member so as to be engaged bythe-lead-L member to a predetermined extent as set forth in claim 1 inwhich: the trailing abutment on said'locking member is extended inwardlybeyond the arcuate inner edge of the locking member so as to be engagedby the leading end of said second concentric segment and thereby swingthe leading abutment on the locking member into position for subsequentengagement with theleading shoulder to stop forward rotation of thedisc, the traili g, abutment of the locking member being engageablewith-and adapted to traverse said first concentric segment and saideccentric segment in succession untilflthe leading abutment is restoredtolocking position 'by'en'a gagement of the trailing abutment with theleading extremity of the second concentric segment.

5. A control mechanism for limiting rotation of. a

member to a predetermined extent as .set forth in' claim 1, in which:the trailing abutment on said locking member is extended inwardly beyondthe arcuate inner edge of the locking member so as to be engaged by theleading end of said second concentric segment'and thereby swing theleading abutment on the locking member into position for subsequentengagement with the leading shoulder to stop forward rotation of thedisc, and means for mounting said locking member for bodily movementboth toward and away from said disc and laterally in V oppositedirections under impact of its engagement with the shoulders on saiddisc, for operatively positioning the 'abutments thereon as the disc isrotated in opposite directions. 7 I

6. Ina paper towel dispenser embodying a cabinet for containing a rollof paper and a dispensing opening throughwhich successive sections ofpaper are issuable and dispensing means mounted in said cabinet: acontrol mechanism for regulating issue of paperv including a manuallyrotatable disc having a concentric-segment of major radius, a minorconcentric segment of'les ser'radius' than said major segment, and aneccentric segment of gradually decreasing radius defining a recess inthe peripheral edge of, said disc having its minimum radius adjacentsaid minor segment, said disc having peripheral notches at oppositeextremities of said major seg- V shoulders, a locking bar coplanar withsaid disc and pivotally and shiftably mounted on said cabinet andprovided with leading and trailing abutments i first segment," wherebyfor respective engagement with correspondingly leading and trailingshoulders on said disc at the extremities of said major segment at thecompletion of one dispensing operation-and prior to a succeedingoperation, said leading abutment cent the minimum radius of saideccentric segment to prevent said bar from jamming said disc againstrotation.

'7. A mechanism of the character described comprising: a rotatablemember and a swingable and shiftable' iockin rnemberperipherallyengageable with said rotatable member tostop forward and reverserotation of the rotatable member at predetermined points in a revolutionthereof; said lock-ingmember having leading and trailing abutments onopposite sides of its fulcrum and extended toward the periphery of therotatable member;

said rotatable member'having a first concentric segment of major radiuswith shoulders at its opposite extremities, a second concentric segmenttrailing said first segmerit and an eccentric segment'intermediate saidfirst and second segmentsprovidingan elongated recess in the edge ofsaid-rotatable member said eccentric segment being ofgradually'inereasing radius'from its-junction with the secondse'gmentto'its extremity adjacent the first segment butoE less radius than thethe first segment will engage the trailing abutment of and swing thelocking member so. as to move the leading abutment of the lockingmemberinto the path of the leading shoulder "of the firstsegment of therotatable, nggmber for arresting forward :rotationthereof and aimforwardly shifting thewlo'ck-ing member, and upon a fractional reverserotation of the rotatable member the trailing shoulder'of'th'e firstsegment of the rotatable member will engage ing member to permitfurtherforward rotation of the rotatable member, said recess receivingthe leading abutment ot said locking member when the engagement of thetrailing abutment with the leading shoulder of said disc urges saidlocking member into a position in which it would jam said disc againstrotation. v

r 8. A mechanism of the character set forth in'claim 7, including: adetent operatively connected with and for preventingreverse rotation ofthe rotatable member beyond an extentnecessary to release the lockingmember therefrom. a

References Cited in the'fiie of'this-patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,224,224 Shelley May 1, 1917 2,175,141 'Wooster, Oct/3, 1939, 2,277,051West Mar; 24, .1942 2,451,191 Birr; Oct. 12, 1948 being receivable insaid recess-adja-V y when the rotatable member is rotated in 'aforwarddirection'the leading shoulder of l I thetrailing abutment of thelocking member to reversely shift ,and release the lock- 7

